Teller was a quiet feller

Legendary broadcast Michael Parkinson made a rare television appearance on Wednesday talking about the art of interviewing. The 87-year-old, who hosted his own chat show for decades, was a master of the art.

He said: “It takes some doing to actually be frank in an interview, to ask the questions properly and not be delicate around certain subjects.” I wonder what advice he would have about tackling guests who don’t actually speak.

The most bizarre interview I ever did was with the famous American magicians Penn and Teller. They came into the Scotland Tonight studio for a chat. Except the act’s gimmick is that Teller doesn’t speak in public. A silent guest is very disconcerting. And it’s even more unsettling when they pull out a coin from your ear live on air.